State's tax mop-up keeps pace with target

Nine months into the current financial year, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a day-long meeting on Thursday to review the targets achieved by revenue-generating departments — Commercial Taxes, Excise, Stamps and Registration and Transport.

In the budget for 2015-16, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio, anticipated that Rs 76,445 crore would be generated through the State’s own taxes. Achieving the target gains prominence as substantial part of the State’s revenue goes for funding several sops and populists scheme announced by the Congress government after it took over the reigns of power in May 2013.

Commercial Taxes

Target set for 2015-16: Rs 46,250 crore; Revenue mobilised till December 2015: Rs 32,833 crore (73 pc). 
The growth rate achieved in resource mobilisation till
December 2015 compared to the previous fiscal is 8.9 pc.
Siddaramaiah directed the department’s officials to achieve the target by March.
The department fell short of achieving the target by about Rs 800 crore in 2014-15 due to a decrease in fuel prices.
Siddaramaiah has directed officials to start collecting arrears and clear pendency of appeal cases to meet the target.

Excise

 Target set for 2015-16: Rs 15,200 crore. Revenue mobilised up to December 2015: Rs 11,101 crore (73 pc).
Target set and achieved for 2014-15: Rs 13,801 crore.
CM has directed the department to check pilferage and violations of the Excise Act and increase vigilance.

Stamps and Registration

Target set for 2015-16: Rs 8,200 crore. Revenue mobilised till January: Rs 6,015 crore (74 pc). Target set for 2014-15: 7,450 crore; achieved: Rs 7,070 crore.
Revenue generation is directly linked to economy; any fluctuation will have an impact; the department hopes that registrations will increase after ‘Dhanur maasa’.

Transport

Target set for 2015-16: Rs 4,800 crore. Revenue mobilised till December 2015: Rs 3,200 crore; Target set for 2014-15: Rs 4,400; Achieved: Rs 4,520 crore. The department hopes to achieve the target through more vehicle registrations, levying of penalties and fines and through arrears.